National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Sunday said that President Biden will “methodically” re-evaluate relations with Saudi Arabia in the wake of OPEC’s decision to slash oil production by 2 million barrels per day.
The Biden administration has vowed “consequences” for the Saudis, but no concrete steps have been announced. Sullivan told CNN that possible options include changes to US military assistance to Saudi Arabia, which is extremely reliant on US maintenance and arms sales. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and other members of Congress have called for a “freeze” of most US military support for Riyadh.
Sullivan said Biden will “act methodically, strategically and he’s going to take his time to consult with members of both parties, and also to have an opportunity for Congress to return so that he can sit with them in person and work through the options.”
The US has accused Saudi Arabia of aligning with Russia because of the OPEC decision, a claim Riyadh denied. The Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement last week that the decision was made for economic reasons and not to benefit one particular country.
The statement said that the Saudis “totally reject” the US response to the cut in oil production. It said that the Biden administration asked for the announcement to be delayed by a month, which could have delayed the rise in gas prices until after the US midterm elections.
Saudi Arabia attacks Yemen killing thousands. US response: crickets.
Saudi Arabia cuts oil production. US response: threats.
Any questions?
So it goes.
Amen. The Saudis are using the Zionist model: as the latter vis a vis Palestinians, so the Saudis demand the right to do as they see fit in their bailiwick, their foreign policy generally, and their economy in full confidence they have Washington by the proverbial balls.
C’mon now. Uncle Joe made them stencil “D”, for defensive, on their bombs. /s
The US and Europe have talked/boasted/sanctioned themselves into an economic dead end.
Many pundits criticized ByeDone for meeting with MbS.
It’s MbS who should have been ashamed of himself for meeting with a warmonger.
What, just what do you think MBS is???? Yemen gives you a clue.
The difference is that the Saudis don’t pretend to be something other than what they are.
I agree. My insinuation was that they’re two peas from the same pod.
MbS: Saudi Arabia to reevaluate relations with Washington.
MBS: F*ck Washington. U.S. response: we will stop sales of military hardware. MBS: we will purchase from other countries what we need.
They purchased at least $8 billion under Trump. Maybe they are good for a while?
That’s what, about 2 weeks of weapons for Ukraine?
It is more then time for Sleepy Joe and his supporters and his opposition in the Fascist world of Trump et al to go the way of the Dodo.The world survival depends on a revolution in nthe US but I am not betting on it.
Amen.
America is a ‘reverse fascist’ state. In real fascism, the state controls business; in America business controls the state through lobbying and bribes.
Of the thousands of posts screaming about fascism that I have read since the beginning of the internet that might be the first post I’ve seen in years that shows a basic grasp of what fascism actually is.
The fascist symbol, i.e.: The axe is the revolution that cuts the branches (rods) which are the various classes in society and industry and the cord which binds them together for the common good is the state. The Spanish version of the federal police still use that symbol, and it can also be seen on both sides of the wall in congress.
OPEC+ may be acting a little early. But the great recession has already hit Europe, and it doesn’t look very good for the US economy. Given the revenue losses OPEC incurred due to COVID, it is not unreasonable to assume that the demand for oil will decline. Some reduction in output is obviously warranted.
Biden’s own interference in global energy markets is the leading cause of this recession. But, rather than accept responsibility, he expects OPEC to clean up his mess.
Independent countries with a long history of bowing to the US are beginning to assert that they will be making decisions based on 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 interests. Every action Biden takes to force them back under thumb just might cause an opposite reaction.
What? No more fist bumps and orbs? Say it ain’t so, Joe.
Saudi is in the wars for sectarian reasons, that’s all. They got all the oil they need, but Wash. doesn’t have all it needs, it never will.
The Saudis and the rest of the OPEC countries economies run entirely on oil. Manipulating the price of oil is their primary concern. Believing they are trying to stick it to the U.S. is absurd. Or that they care less whether to preserve Democrat election chances enough to delay the announcement. The only card Biden or the U.S. in general has to play is cutting military support. And pretty sure the Saudis are confident the U.S. doesn’t curb its military industrial complex for any length of time.
proving that the MIC is as powerful as big oil is.
Like a child, the president can’t bring himself to admit responsibility for creating the very conditions which led him to beg the Saudis to underwrite the mid-term elections.